Avatar Katara

The Puppetmaster

A/N I'm changing Hama's backstory, like, a lot. She didn't deserve a happier ending, since she hurt a lot of innocents, but her story is really sad.

"Suddenly, they heard something down the hall, in the dark. Oooh...it came into the torchlight. And they knew the blade of Wing Fun was haunted!"

Everyone gave Sokka an unimpressed look.

"I think I liked 'The Man With a Sword For a Hand' better," Zuko said.

Rina nodded. "Southern Water Tribe slumber parties must stink."

"No, wait," Katara said. "I've got one, and this is a true Southern Water Tribe story."

"Is this one of those 'a friend of my cousin knew the guy this happened to' stories?"

"No, it happened to Mom."

Everyone leaned forward.

"One winter, when Mom was a girl, a snowstorm buried the village for weeks. Months later, Mom realized that she hadn't seen her friend Nini since the storm. So Mom and some others went to check on Nini's family. When they got there, no one was home, just a fire flickering in the fireplace. While the men went out to search, Mom stayed in the home. When she was alone, she heard a voice say, 'It's so cold and I can't get warm.' Mom turned and saw Nini standing there, by the fire. She was blue, like she was frozen. Mom ran outside for help, but when she came back, Nini was gone."

"Where'd she go?" Zuko asked.

"No one knows. Nini's house stood empty until it was destroyed in the raid. But sometimes, people saw smoke rise up from the chimney, like little Nini was still trying to get warm."

Everyone shuddered.

Then Toph gasped and put her hand on the ground. "Did you hear that? I hear people under the mountain. It sounds like they're...screaming"

Sokka scoffed. "Nice try."

"No, I'm serious. I hear something."

"You're probably just jumpy from the ghost stories," Katara said uncertainly.

"It just stopped."

Rina swallowed. "Now I'm getting scared."

Zuko shifted uncomfortably. "I was going to tell a story among the Fire Nation officers about people who disappear in these very woods next, but I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Hello, children."

Everyone screamed and hugged Toph.

"Sorry to frighten you," said an elderly woman. "You children shouldn't be out here in the forest at night. I have an inn nearby. Why don't you come back for spiced tea and warm beds?"

Sokka lit up. "Yes please!"

---

"Thank you for letting us stay here tonight," Zuko said as the woman poured him some tea.

"Aren't you sweet, Zuko? You should be careful. That story you were about to tell is true. People do tend to disappear around here."

"What do you mean?" Sokka asked.

"When the moon turns full, people walk in, and they don't walk out," she explained. Everyone shuddered. "Don't worry. Whatever snatches them doesn't target innocents, only soldiers and officers who abuse and extort their own people. You're completely safe. Who wants more tea?"

No one answered.

"I'm serious. You're all completely safe here. Why don't I show you all to your rooms, and you can get a good night's rest?"